Drawer construction including plastic drawer front

ABSTRACT

An improved drawer construction is provided which includes a usual box section composed, for example, of wood; and which includes a plastic front member for the drawer which may simulate wood, and which extends across the open front of the box. The plastic front member is configured to have integral ribs formed in its rear surface which define slots for receiving the front edge of the box, and which also constitute supports for the front edge of the bottom of the box. The plastic front member may be composed of an appropriate plastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, for example, so that it may be stapled, or otherwise appropriately fastened to the front edge of the box.

United States Patent [1 1 Adams Oct. 23, 1973 [54] DRAWER CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING 3,554,627 1/1971 Mock 312/330 PLASTIC DRAWER FRONT 3,597,038 8/1971 3,639,027 2/1972 Inventor: James Adams, Palos Verdes, 3,653,735 4/1972 Duepree 312 330 Calif.

[73] Assignee: Adams Brothers Plastic, Inc., Primary Examiner-James McCall Hawthorne, C lif, Attorney-Keith D. Beecher [22] Filed: May 15, 1972 Appl. No.: 253,140

[52] US. Cl. 312/330, 312/204 [51] Int. Cl A4711 88/00 [58] Field of Search 312/330, 204, 331, 312/332, 349, 350, 107

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,916 11/1949 Johnson 312/330 X 2,570,958 10/1951 Lee 312/330 2,701,174 2/1955 Franks 312/330 X 3,298,767 1/1967 Crandell et al. 312/330 3,494,308 7 2/1970 Perrin 312/204 3,542,447 11/1970 Himelreich 312/330 [57] ABSTRACT An improved drawer construction is provided which includes a usual box section composed, for example,

of wood; and which includes a plastic front member for'the drawer which may simulate wood, and which extends across the open front of the box. The plastic front member is configured to have integral ribs formed in its rear surface which define slots for receiving the front edge of the box, and which also constitute supports for the front edge of the bottom of the box. The plastic from member may be composed of an appropriate plastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, for example, so that it may be stapled, or otherwise appropriately fastened to the front edge of the box.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures draw/er 5/0? Patented Oct. 23, 1973 3,767,281

DRAWER CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING PLASTIC DRAWER FRONT 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Drawers having plastic front panels are known. However, the prior art drawer of this type usually includes a complete box, with a plastic panel, or the like, being inserted into the existing front member of the box. Sucha construction is uneconomical, and it entails an excessive number of components.

In the construction of the present invention, a plastic member is shaped to constitute in and of itself the front of the drawer, and it extends across the front of the drawer box to form an enclosure for the box. The plastic drawer front of the invention is shaped to receive the front edge of the box so that a complete and rigid assembly may be provided. The plastic drawer front may be composed of any appropriate plastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, to enable it to be stapled, or otherwise fastened to the box. The plastic drawer front itself may be formed to simulate wood,'or it may have any desired color or pleasing design formed in it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED. EMBODIMENT The illustrated drawer assembly includes, for example, a box designated 10 and which includes a pair of side walls 12 and 14 and a back or rear wall 16. The box 10 also includes a bottom 18. The side walls 12 and 14, the rear wall 16, and the bottom 18 may all be composed of an appropriate material, such as wood.

The side walls 12 and 14, the rear wall 16, and the bottom 18are mutually attached to one another to form the box 10. The resulting box has an open front, as shown in FIG. 1, and the front is enclosed by a plastic drawer front 20, which is constructed to incorporate the concepts of the invention. The drawer front 20 is composed of a molded plastic, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), and it is molded to have a plurality of integral ribs on its rear surface, as shown. The ribs define vertical side slots at each end of the drawer front 20 and which receive the front edges of the side walls 12 and 14. The ribs also define a horizontal slot which extends the length of the plastic member 20, and which receives the front edge of the bottom 18. Horizontal ribs 22 extending under the aforesaid slots, serve as a support for the front edge of the bottom 18.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear surface of the plastic drawer front 20 is molded to define a plurality of vertical ribs 24 which extend in spaced and parallel relationship. The ribs 24 at each end of the member 20 define, in conjunction with a first series of horizontal ribs designated 26, and a second series of horizontal ribs designated 28, a pair of vertical slots for respectively receiving the front edges of the side walls 12 and 14. Also moded into the rear wall of the plastic member 20, is a further horizontal rib'27 which receives the fasteners of an appropriate handle 29, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The ribs 22 and 26 may be pointed, as shown, to cut into the wood sides and bottom of the drawer 10, so as to hold the plastic member and the drawer rigidly together.

The plastic drawer front 20 is fitted onto the front edge of the box 10, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, with the front edges of the side walls 12 and 14 extending into the aforesaid vertical slots, and with the front edge of the bottom 18 extending into the aforesaid horizontal slot, to be supported by.the ribs 22. The drawer front 20 may be attached to the box 10, by means, for example, of staples 30, or it may be frictionally or adhesively attached to the box, or other appropriate fastening means may be used. The drawer front is preferably grained, as shown in FIG. 4 to simulate wood.

The invention provides, therefore, a simple and economical construction for a drawer assembly, by which a plasticdrawer front is attached to the box of the drawer and constitutes an enclosure for the front end vof the box.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made, and it is intended in the claims to cover the modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a drawer assembly which includes a rectangular .box section having a pair of spaced and parallel side walls, a back wall extending between said side walls at one end thereof, and a bottom, all mutually attached to one another, and having an open front; a flat elongated rectangular front member attached to the front edge of said box section and extending across said open front thereof, said front member being composed of molded plastic material having a plurality of integral ribs on the rear surface thereof defining a pair of vertical slots at the respective ends of said front member for receiving the front edges of said side walls, and said integral ribs also defining a horizontal slot extending the length of said front member for receiving the front edge of the bottom of said box section.

2. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, in which the front surface of said plastic front member simulates wood.

3. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, in which said plastic front member is formed of polyvinylchloride.

4. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, and which includes staple fastening means attaching said plastic front member to said box section.

5. The drawer section defined in claim 1, in which said integral ribs formed on the rear surface of said I plastic front member also constitute a support for the front edge of the bottom of said box section.

I III l ll I 

1. In a drawer assembly which includes a rectangular box section having a pair of spaced and parallel side walls, a back wall extending between said side walls at one end thereof, and a bottom, all mutually attached to one another, and having an open front; a flat elongated rectangular front member attached to the front edge of said box section and extending across said open front thereof, said front member being composed of molded plastic material having a plurality of integral ribs on the rear surface thereof defining a pair of vertical slots at the respective ends of said front member for receiving the front edges of said side walls, and said integral ribs also defining a horizontal slot extending the length of said front member for receiving the front edge of the bottom of said box section.
 2. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, in which the front surface of said plastic front member simulates wood.
 3. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, in which said plastic front member is formed of polyvinylchloride.
 4. The drawer assembly defined in claim 1, and which includes staple fastening means attaching said plastic front member to said box section.
 5. The drawer section defined in claim 1, in which said integral ribs formed on the rear surface of said plastic front member also constitute a support for the front edge of the bottom of said box section. 